The present invention relates to systems and devices for monitoring patients in a healthcare facility. More particularly, the invention relates to patient monitoring systems that allow the patient to ambulate through a care unit in the facility and that provide a high-speed data link for information management and other purposes.
Most patient monitoring systems that permit patients to ambulate through a care unit use telemetry-based communication schemes. In one common form, the patient wears a telemetry transmitter attached to the patient using ECG electrodes. The telemetry transmitter acquires an ECG signal, conducts a nominal amount of filtering on the ECG signal, and transmits a telemetry data signal to an antenna array, typically located in the ceiling of the care unit. The telemetry signal is conducted through the antenna array to a telemetry receiver, which in turn, is connected to a central station that analyzes and displays the ECG information for viewing and evaluation by the clinicians staffing the care units.
Existing medical telemetry systems are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and are authorized to use VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) radio-frequency (RF) bands for their wireless data links. Presently, it is necessary to install two separate telemetry infrastructures or systems to utilize both of these bands. Of course, installing two systems increases the cost of patient monitoring. Proposed changes in FCC regulations will provide a new band (the L-band) in the RF spectrum for medical telemetry systems. While the addition of the new band will provide new capacity for telemetry systems and help reduce interference with other RF signals, operating in the new band with current technology will require an additional and separate telemetry infrastructure.
In addition to the problems noted above, current telemetry systems are, in general, unable to support applications that require relatively high-speed data links. Such applications include bedside monitoring, telephony services, and image transfer services. If present at all, these services are generally implemented with high-bandwidth wired networks that are separate from currently used telemetry systems.